Ethiopian Airlines has had to suspend its flights to one of its international routes, Djibouti, as of Sunday August 1, following a dispute between the Djiboutian Civil Aviation Authorities and the Airline.

Djiboutian authorities had required that the airline use jet propelled aircraft, as opposed to the turbo propelled Bombardiers currently used by Ethiopian, Capital learnt.

Ethiopian Airlines, in March this year, bought eight Q-400 Next Generation turboprop aircraft from the Canadian Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Inc. aiming to boost its domestic and regional flight operations including Djibouti and Yemen.

Girma Wake, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian, said that major carriers across the world use this kind of aircraft for routes such as in between Canada and America; and France and Germany.

According to him, the bilateral agreement between the two parties does not specify a fleet type to be operated by the carrier. The carrier has a say in deciding what aircraft to operate while the Djiboutian authorities determine the traffic. The Djiboutian decision however led Ethiopian to be banned from its longest serving route that began when the airline was formed in 1946.

Girma said that negotiations are underway and as soon as the problem is solved the interrupted scheduled flight will resume.

“We use our traffic right and will try to respond positively to their demand as much as possible. We will try to respond to legal and fair terms but if they insist on unfair and illegal terms, we cannot do anything. You cannot fly to their country without their consent,” Girma added.

The CEO explained that Ethiopian wants to fly to Djibouti to facilitate trade ties between the two countries. However, the CEO suggests Ethiopian will only fly to Djibouti if terms and conditions that secure both sides’ interests are restored.

According to Wogayehu Terefe, Ethiopian Public Relations and Publication Acting Manager, the airline is currently transporting its already booked customers using other airlines that fly to Djibouti.

Wogayehu further added that the airline apologizes to its customers for the inconvenience created and is doing its best to resume the interrupted flight.

In a related development, a report revealed that Ethiopian Airlines stands out as the number one carrier in Africa making it to the top 25 airlines in the world.

According to a report published by Air Transport World (ATW) magazine, Ethiopian has just become Africa’s most profitable airliner in the previous fiscal year’s operation, which ended last June.

ATW’s report said Ethiopian, Africa’s number one and the world’s 16th most profitable carrier, made a net profit of 127.7 million dollars during the twelve month period.

The latest record financial performance followed suit from the last few years Ethiopian was able to pocket record profits by growing at least 20 percent. In the 2008/09 fiscal year, for example, a whopping 1,345 million birr net profit, 165 percent increase from the previous year, was registered. Employees in service during the period were awarded a one month pay bonus last June.

The past growth that came as part of a strategic plan to be concluded this year is about to enter a new phase. Ethiopian transported three million people in the concluded fiscal year creating the largest network in Africa. Now it is about to evolve into a holding company.

According to the 15 year strategic plan of the airline, the International passenger network, Domestic network, Cargo network, Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) business, Aviation Academy, In-flight Catering and Ground Services are envisioned to become independent business units that will come under the umbrella of The Ethiopian Group.

Currently Ethiopian, which has 5,358, employees, reaches 59 international destinations, including 39 routes in Africa.

The airline’s first scheduled flight was to Cairo from Addis Ababa, with a stopover in Asmara on April 8, 1946.

......Djiboutian authorities had required that the airline use jet propelled aircraft, as opposed to the turbo propelled Bombardiers currently used by Ethiopian, Capital learnt......
What next - change the type of cargo ships or else NO SEA PORT?

We can not relay on these so called neighbours - "the confused", "the tiny", "the mad-max Somalia". BTW: what a rough neighbourhood that we are in? The big boy is being bullied & roughed up - shame on Zenawi to expose us with such a humiliation.

......Djiboutian authorities had required that the airline use jet propelled aircraft, as opposed to the turbo propelled Bombardiers currently used by Ethiopian, Capital learnt......
What next - change the type of cargo ships or else NO SEA PORT?

We can not relay on these so called neighbours - "the confused", "the tiny", "the mad-max Somalia". BTW: what a rough neighbourhood that we are in? The big boy is being bullied & roughed up - shame on Zenawi to expose us with such a humiliation.

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......Djiboutian authorities had required that the airline use jet propelled aircraft, as opposed to the turbo propelled Bombardiers currently used by Ethiopian, Capital learnt...... What next - change the type of cargo ships or else NO SEA PORT?

We can not relay on these so called neighbours - "the confused", "the tiny", "the mad-max Somalia". BTW: what a rough neighbourhood that we are in? The big boy is being bullied & roughed up - shame on Zenawi to expose us with such a humiliation.

Wow, very much Anti-Djiboutian Ahadu, what hapenned? Do we need to get that emotional every single time there is a slight misunderstanding between our authorities?

Besides, what's wrong if the civil aviation authorities judged that Ethiopian Airlines should use this kind of generators as opposed to those? Isn't it up to the experts in the field and concerned authorities that have to reach a deal (both Ethiopian Airlines and Djibouti civil aviation)?

Let me remind you that whether we are "reliable" or not, we're the only option you got for now so calm down man...and show some respect to Djibouti.